1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel bulletin board onto which items may be pinned. More particularly, the invention relates to a bulletin board and method of making the same from a polyfoam material with a hardback cover. The term xe2x80x9cpolyfoamxe2x80x9d is used herein to describe a foamed polymeric material.
2. Related Art
Bulletin boards have long existed in the form of cork with an adhered rigid backing to give stiffness and support to the cork and with a frame to prevent abrasion along the edge of the cork. This type board has been found to have disadvantages in that the cork tends to wear from pins which are inserted and removed on a frequent basis. Another disadvantage arose in the damage of such boards in shipping process, as well as size of the board for cost purposes. Further, current wall hangers attached to such boards add expense and are often damaged or lost in the shipping process.
One attempt to solve these problems was to provide bendable and shipable bulletin board comprising front and rear layers heat sealed to one another, a foam core between the front and rear layers, and at least one stiffening layer between the front and rear layers. This design has not met commercial acceptance.
Another type of board was adapted to retain paper and other articles without the use of thumb-tacks or other extrinsic fastening means. The display board included a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface onto which paper, cards, coins, keys, and even heavier articles may be removably mounted and retained thereon for extended periods of display by simply pressing the article against the adhesive surface.
While these boards have attempted to solve deficiencies in the art, there remains a need to improve bulletin board designs. Accordingly, the present invention improves upon the art.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved bulletin board.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a relatively inexpensive and durable bulletin board.
Still another object is to provide a bulletin board with improved wall mounting means.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a bulletin board which includes a generally planar polyfoam layer having a front surface and a back surface, wherein the back surface includes a recessed surface portion formed therein having an integrally disposed generally planar stiffening member held in place by the polyfoam. The planar stiffening member is preferably a cardboard piece and the polyfoam penetrates a portion of the corrugation from peripheral edges thereof inward.
Additionally, an exposed back surface portion surrounding the stiffening member includes a plurality of recessed surface portions to enable the board to be easily mounted to a wall using nails or the like. The stiffening member is preferably sufficiently rearwardly disposed from a front surface of the planar polyfoam such that conventional tack pins do not penetrate the stiffening member.
A method of forming the bulletin board is provided. The method includes positionably disposing a stiffening member on a surface of an injection mold and injecting a polyfoam material around the stiffening member in a manner such that a substantially uniform layer of the polyfoam is integrally connected thereto.
Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon viewing the drawings and reading the detailed description hereafter.